Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk reiterated his belief this week that artificial intelligence will eventually eliminate the need for human labor, offering a vision for what the future might hold as technology continues to advance rapidly.
During a remote appearance at the Viva technology conference in Paris on Thursday, Musk was asked whether he was worried about AI replacing his job, and what he would do if that happened.
Musk wears multiple hats, including CEO of Tesla, founder of xAI, SpaceX and Neuralink, and owner of social media platform X.
“In a good scenario, probably nobody will lose their job,” Musk responded. “We’ll have universal high income. Not universal basic income, but universal high income. There will be no shortages of goods and services.”
The tech mogul said he believes there’s an 80% chance that advances in AI will lead to a situation where humans no longer need jobs and will have everything they need.
“The question is really going to be one of meaning: If computers and robots can do everything better than humans can, does life have meaning?” Musk said. “That’s really a question in the good-case scenario, and in the bad-case scenario, we get into deep trouble and everything falls apart.”
Musk has previously predicted that AI will eventually become so advanced that humans will no longer need to work.
“I believe we are witnessing the most disruptive force in history,” Musk said of AI. UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak At the first AI Safety Summit held in London last fall.
“It’s hard to say exactly when, but there will come a moment when you won’t need a job,” the tech billionaire said. “If you want to work, you can get a job. It’s a kind of personal satisfaction. But AI will be able to do it all.”
